Clark Howard, look out - Dale Cardwell is back

Ah, to be Dale Cardwell’s analyst.

You’ll recall that the boyish-looking investigative reporter left a long-standing gig at WSB-TV in 2007 to run what we’ll charitably call a quixotic campaign to unseat incumbent Sen. Saxby Chambliss. Cardwell’s nascent political career took a turn for the weird when he hoisted himself atop a smokestack overlooking the Downtown Connector and camped out with a webcam on the coldest weekend of the year.

Well, Dale has returned to public view and it looks as if he’s trying to topple another big wheel. This time, however, his target seems to be none other than his former WSB colleague Clark Howard.

Cardwell’s newest venture is TrustDale.com, a website devoted to — wait for it … — consumer advice and scam-avoidance tips. Dale is positioning himself as a one-man Better Business Bureau:

Companies found on this site have been through my exclusive seven-point investigative checklist and have been determined, by the TrustDale team, to offer the very best value in their field. I personally stand behind every TrustDale partner company. And you, as the consumer, have the added benefit and protection of the TrustDale Make it Right Guarantee.

Now we know what the guy’s been up to for the past year-and-a-half. Well, that and getting a little free promotion via Wikipedia:

Dale now owns and operates www.TrustDale.com, a consumer advocacy and referral business and website, where he uses 25 years of investigative and consumer experience to research and identify the best companies, products and services, based on price, quality and customer service.

Oddly, there’s no mention of that smokestack.